A Visit with Jack Patera

As the very first head coach in Seahawks history, Jack Patera brought a 20-year NFL resume to the job as both a player and assistant coach. Drafted by the Baltimore Colts in 1955, he would play both offensive guard and defensive linebacker over his 7-year playing career with the Colts (1955-1957), Chicago Cardinals (1958-1959) and Dallas Cowboys (1960-1961). He then went to work as a defensive line coach with the LA Rams (1963-1967), and moved on to the N.Y. Giants (1968) and Minnesota Vikings (1969-1975) in the same position. He joined the expansion Seahawks in 1976.